What You Will Experience

Craft Your Own Natural Perfume

Explore the ancient art of natural perfumery, using only the finest botanicals, essential oils, and plant extracts. Guided by Marina Barcenilla, you will:

• Learn the history and philosophy of natural fragrance creation.

• Discover the power of the natural world and its connection to wellbeing.

• Experiment with a wide range of natural essences, including flowers, herbs, resins, and woods.

• Create your own signature scents, uniquely tailored to your personality and preferences.

  Wellness and Relaxation in a Sacred Setting

  Recharge your body and mind with activities designed to harmonise your senses:

• Morning Yoga: A gentle start to your day using our specially designed Chakra Scents to prepare you for the day ahead.

• Guided Meditation: Connect to the earth’s energy through mindful meditation sessions amidst Glastonbury’s natural beauty.

• Nature Walks: Explore the tranquil landscapes of Glastonbury Tor, the Chalice Well, The White Spring and the surrounding meadows

  Connect with a Like-Minded Community

  Join a group of individuals who share a passion for natural living, creativity, and personal growth. Through our immersive workshops and group discussions, you will form lasting connections with fellow participants who are also on their own journey of discovery.

Our Perfumery School

Our school is dedicated to promoting the art of perfumery with a focus on creativity and artistic creation by working with ingredients of natural origin. We are also interested in exploring the relationship between scent and the world around us, literature, history, music, art, nature and science.

Your Tutor: Marina Barcenilla

Our founder and lead tutor Marina Barcenilla has more than two decades of experience, both as a perfumer and as a fragrance educator. She is passionate about natural fragrance and about how it can help to deepen our connection with the natural world.

A pioneer of natural perfumery in the UK, Marina is an acclaimed independent perfumer founder of her own perfume brands, Marina Barcenilla Parfums and AromAtom, and a fragrance creator for other brands. She is also an academician at the Spanish Academia del Perfume, the Spanish Institution that champions the practice, appreciation and understanding of Perfumery as a form of art.

Her perfumes have received many awards, including two Fragrance Foundation Awards (FiFis), two Sustainable Luxury Awards, and several Natural Beauty accolades including Beauty Shortlist, The Green Parent and International Natural Beauty awards.

In the realm of science, Marina has a First Class Honours degree in Planetary Science and Astronomy and is in the final months of a PhD in Molecular Biology, Biochemistry and Biophysics. She is also an active science communicator with her project “AromAtom: Discover the Smell of Space" founded in 2017, through which she shares her knowledge of astronomy in a fun and accessible way with everyone, from children as young as seven to adults in their nineties.

Retreat’s Special Guests

Bess Strzelecki

Bess will be leading the yoga class and meditation sessions in the mornings during the retreat. She has a deep connection with Glastonbury and the landscape that surrounds our town, and will be available as a guide to some of the many sacred sites located within a short distance from the retreat.

Like many of us, Bess has combined an early professional career with her true spiritual call. She graduated from Georgetown University's Moore School of Business. After graduation, she spent several years working in finance at a Hedge Fund and later as an Executive Recruiter, both at retained executive search firms and in house at a publicly traded tech firm.

In addition, Bess Strzelecki is an intuitive guide. She is trained in evolutionary astrology, energy healing, yoga, meditation, herbalism, runes, tarot, shamanism and animal communication. She will be available to those who wish to have their astrology chart read, receive energy healing during the course of the retreat, etc. You can find more information about Bess and her work through her website: www.wholeheartedlivings.com

Example Timetable

Day 1

3:30pm : Arrival and settling in.

6pm : Welcome cocktail (non-alcoholic) and sensory warm up activity.

7:30pm : Dinner.

Day 2

8am : Morning yoga.

9am : Breakfast in your cottage.

10:15am : Morning class. Understanding perfume ingredients and smelling like a perfumer.

1pm : Lunch.

3pm : Afternoon class. Understanding perfume notes and fragrance structure.

6:30pm : End of teaching day meditation.

7pm : Dinner.

Day 3

8am : Morning yoga.

9am : Breakfast in your cottage.

10:15am : Morning class. Understanding perfume families and reference fragrances.

1pm : Lunch.

3pm : Afternoon class. Create your own citrus fragrance.

6:30pm : End of teaching day meditation.

7pm : Dinner.

Day 4

8am : Morning yoga.

9am : Breakfast in your cottage and free time until 12:30.

12:30pm : Visit to the Apothecary Garden and picnic lunch.

2pm : Guided visit of the garden and distillation class.

5pm : Return to Middlewick Farm.

7pm : Dinner accompanied by medieval style music and song from Koth na Fiach, Celtic history and medieval music specialist, and Ogham oracle reader.

Koth na Fiach

Koth na Fiach, a Celtic history and medieval music specialist from Dark Age Crafts, will accompany us during the retreat, delighting us with his lyre music and song, and guiding the end-of-day meditations. He is also an Celtic Ogham oracle reader and will be avilable for readings during teh week.

Koth na Fiach is an artisan who creates replicas of ancient and medieval musical instruments. Koth’s work is particularly focused on reconstructing instruments like the celtic and anglosaxon lyres, using traditional materials and techniques wherever possible. His craftsmanship serves musicians and enthusiasts of medieval music who seek authentic sound and feel from these reconstructed instruments. Koth’s reconstructions and medieval inspired music have been highlighted at events like the Tewkesbury, Glastonbury Abbey and England’s Medieval Festivals, and his work has allowed modern players to explore musical styles that might otherwise be lost to history.